Flaherty opened the scoring for the WSL 1 leaders on Wednesday evening, only for Rebecca Jane and Lauren Bruton to score either side of the break for the hosts.
However, Ji So-Yun came off the bench and set up Millie Bright before netting the winner herself – and Flaherty was satisfied with the 3-2 win.
Reading 2-3 Chelsea
The FA WSL Continental Tyres Cup
Group 1
Wednesday 22 July 2015
Farnborough FC
By Tom Crocker
"I don’t think anyone ever doubted that we could ever come back and win it," she said. "That’s all we know how to do, how to keep going until the final whistle, and it paid off for us.
"We knew what to expect because we came here last year. We expected Reading to sit in a little bit and be compact. It was about us being patient.
"It’s a massive response for us and I think everyone in the league is watching us and how we reacted tonight and probably a few were rubbing their hands when they saw we were 2-1 down.
"To come back to 3-2 and get three points is massive for us."
Gemma Davison and Marija Banusic each tested Grace Moloney in the first half and the deadlock was finally broken two minutes before the break when Flaherty headed in a corner.
Reading levelled in first-half stoppage time when Emma Follis got to the byline and picked out Jane to tap in and Bruton put them ahead after the break with a fine finish into the bottom corner after collecting Bonnie Horwood’s through ball.
Millie Bright was on the scoresheet for Chelsea in Wednesday's win over Reading
Bright then headed in from substitute Ji’s free-kick and the South Korean forward soon turned scorer, squeezing the ball beyond Moloney – much to goal-scorer Jane’s frustration.
"We didn’t start great but we came into the game and didn’t really deserve to lose it at the end," she said. "We put up a fight against the best in the league and best in the country so we’ve done well.
"It was a little bit nervy and we were a little bit slow out the blocks, just getting used to their formation, but into the next 15 or 20 minutes we did really well.
"We’ve been working a lot in the season on not conceding from set pieces so we are a little bit gutted about that.
"I’ve set myself a target to get five goals so that’s my first so more to come hopefully!"
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Reading Women (4-1-4-1): Grace Moloney; Rebecca Jane, Kirsty McGee, Kylie Davies, Harriet Scott; Lois Roche (Helen Ward 67); Emma Follis (Nikki Watts 81), Bonnie Horwood, Laura-May Walkley (Charlie Estcourt 71), Rachel Rowe; Lauren Bruton.
Subs not used: Chloe Samson, Nia Jones, Georgie Giddings, Rebekah Haines.
Chelsea Ladies (4-3-3): Marie Hourihan; Hannah Blundell, Laura Rafferty, Gilly Flaherty, Anne Meiwald (Ana Borges 50); Laura Coombs (Katie Chapman 63), Mille Bright, Drew Spence; Eniola Aluko, Gemma Davison, Marija Banusic (Ji So-Yun 58).
Subs not used: Frances Kitching, Atlanta Primus, Millie Farrow, Niamh Fahey
Referee: Samuel Ogles
Attendance: 809
